Alec Brass | Alec Brass |
(1)nênapos êsa nkotitah wîstâwa wa-wîcêwêw. mihcêtastimwêyiw ôhô wîstâwa. |
(1)Nenapus, the story goes, once stayed with his brother-in-law. This brother-in-law had many horses. |
(2)kîtahtawê êsa itêw ôhô iskwêwa: «tânika miyit pêyak anihi takahk-atimwah nîstâw!» |
(2)Then at one time he said to that woman: «I wish my brother-in-law would give me one of his horses, a good one!» |
(3)awa iskwêw wîhtamawêw onâpêma: «kitakâwâtamâk nênapos pêyak kitêma.» |
(3)The woman told her husband: «Nenapus longs to have one of your horses.» |
(4)tâpwê wiy âwa nâpêw nâtêw mâwacîs ê-miyonâkosiyit otêma. pê-sakahpitêw êkotah; pê-takohpitêw. |
(4)Accordingly that man went and got the handsomest of all his horses. He came and tethered it there; he tied it to the lodge. |
(5)nênapos êh-wâpamât, «namo wya êyoko!» itwêw. |
(5)When Nenapus saw it, «That is not the one!» he cried. |
(6)âsa mîna kotakah; piyis nântaw nêwâw; tahtwâw ah-âtawêyimêw nênapos. êkos âni wawânêyihtamihêw wîstâwa. |
(6)Then another; in the end some four; each time Nenapus rejected it. In this way he had his brother-in-law at a loss. |
(7)êkwah kay-itât êkwa mîna osîma, «namo wya niwî-miyik ohcitaw nîstâw takahkastimwa, âtah ntomawak. ntawâc niwîh-sipwêhtân. niwîh-nâtâwak nîsta misatimwak.» |
(7)Then again he spoke to his sister, «My brother-in-law is determined not to give me a good horse, ask him as I may. So I am going away. I am going to fetch some horses myself.» |
(8)êkosi isi êh-sipwêhtêt. pa-pimohtêw, piyis tânima tahto-kîsikâw. wâhaw ôtê ê-takosihk, kêtahtawê otihtam anohcîhkê itah ê-kîh-oci-piciwiht. ayahciyiniwak êsa ôkô. nênapos papâ-wâ-wâpahtam matokahpah, kâ-miskawât piyis ê-kî-wêpinimiht misatimwa ê-wacaskâyit, ê-nanîcikanêyit, ê-misi-askâwikanêyit. |
(8)So he went away. He tramped along, for I know not how many days. When he had gone a long ways, presently he came upon the site of a camp that had but recently been left. They must have been Blackfoot. Nenapus went about examining the lodge-sites, and there at last he found a cast-off horse, lame, with swollen joints, and with raw spots on its back. |
(9)«hay hay hay!» itwêw êsa nênapos; «nimiskamâson takahk-atim, êkâ nîstâw kâ-kîh-wî-miyit otêma!» |
(9)«Splendid, splendid!» cried Nenapus; «I have found me a good horse, when my brother-in-law would not give me his!» |
(10)êkotôw ês ôma pêyak kiy-ayâwêyiwa wîstâwa, mâka wiya êkâ ê-kî-nisitohtâkot. |
(10)For it seems that his brother-in-law had a horse like this one, but had not understood Nenapus' request. |
(11)kâw-otinât êsa ôhô, itâpêkinêw nêtê cîkih kêhtê-matokahpihk. êkwa papâmohtêw, êkwah kêkway ci-miskahk, kici-aspâwikanêskôcikêt. miskawêw apisîs êh-pîwapiyit misi-pisiwayânisah, mîna apisîs mihkwêkinos. |
(11)So he now took this one, and led it by its bridle over yonder, close to the deserted camp. Then he walked about to find something he might use as a saddle-cloth. He found a little piece of lynx-skin lying about, and a bit of red flannel. |
(12)«hâ, êkosi!» itwêw; «êkwa pita mâ êkwa nitêm!» |
(12)«Ha, there we are!» he cried; «Now, first my horse!» |
(13)êkw êsa kâw-otinât wâpatonaskah, misiwê êkwah otêma kâ-osipêhwât, ê-ma-masinahwât nanâtohk isi. piyis poyow. |
(13)Then, taking some white clay, he painted his horse all over, putting on it all kinds of markings. Then he stopped. |
(14)êkwah kâ-itât êkwah, «hâ, ntêm, kikî-miyosinâtokê ê-oskastimoyin! tihtipî nêwâw! kâ-k-îsinâkosiyin, kâ-k-îsi-ayâyin êkospi, ka-wî-is-âyân!»1 |
(14)Then he said to it, «Now then, my horse, you must have been handsome when you were young! Roll over four times! The way you looked then, the way you then were, so be you now!» |
(15)tâpwê awa misatim tihtipîw nêwâw. êh-pasikôt, tânsi mîna! nâspic ê-miyosit masinâsôw-atim. |
(15)So the horse rolled over four times. When it rose to its feet, what was this? An exceedingly handsome dappled horse. |
(16)«hâ, êkosi, nitêm!» itêw nênapos. |
(16)«Ha, very good, my horse!» Nenapus said to it. |
(17)mitoni miywêyihtam, otêma. |
(17)He was well content with this horse of his. |
(18)«hâ, êkwah piko niya!» |
(18)«Ha, now for myself!» |
(19)kâ-otinât ôtah pisiwayânisah kâ-kî-miskawât, pahpawiwêpinêw. |
(19)He took up the bit of lynx-skin he had found, and shook it vigorously. |
(20)«kâ-k-îspihtêkisiyin itikitih!» itêw. |
(20)«To the size of robe that you were, grow now so large!» he said to it. |
(21)mihkwêkinos mîna osihtâw. êkwaniw ôhô êy-aspiskôcikêt, mitoni cîhkâpisin otêma. |
(21)Similarly he prepared the bit of red flannel. When he had thus arranged a saddle-cloth with these things, he was very well content with the sight, as he looked at his horse. |
(22)«hâ, mahtih niyastam êkwah! pâh-pêyak nâpêwak kêskitêwâniskwêtwawi, iyâhyakikotêtwâwi, wâpiskâpêhkêcik nihtâ-nahiskamwak; êkosi nik-itâpaminâkosin!» |
(22)«Now, let me see what I can do with myself! Some men have black hair and a slightly upturned nose; they look well in white clothes; of such appearance let me be!» |
(23)kâ-otinah wâpamon kanawâpamisôw. âtawinâsôw. |
(23)Taking up a mirror, he examined his looks. He was not satisfied with his appearance. |
(24)«hâ, namo wya êkosi! pêyakwâw! âtiht nâpêwak kâ-kaskitêwâniskwêcik, apisîs kâ-wâkicânêcik, kâ-kakwânwâyikih otapihkâniwâwa; êkosi nka-isinâkosin!» |
(24)«Ho, this will not do! Once more! Some men have black hair and slightly curved noses, and long are the braids of their hair; let me look like that!» |
(25)wâpamon êkwah itâpiw. |
(25)Then he looked into the mirror. |
(26)«namo wya! osâm nimisi-wâkikotân. _ âtiht nâpêwak nawacik ôsâwâniskwêwak; wîtisiwak; apisîs wâkicânêwak; wâp-êsah tiyâpiskawâtwâwi nihtâ-nahiskamwak. hâ, mahtih!» |
(26)«No! My nose is too big and too curved. _ Some men have rather brown hair; they have much hair; a little curved is their nose; they look well wearing a necklace of white shells. Come, let me see!» |
(27)itâpiw êkwah. |
(27)He looked. |
(28)êh-kanawâpahtahk, «êkosi!» |
(28)When he saw it, «That will do!» |
(29)hâh, êkwah sipwêhtêw; mitihtêw êkwah. hâh, wîpac nawac k-âtimât, misiw-ôtênaw. sêmâk kwayask nâtam nênapos. êti-otihtahk, sêmâk ka-kakwêcihkêmôw. |
(29)Then he went on; he followed the trail of those people. Soon he caught up to them, a big band. Nenapus went right straight to the camp. As soon as he reached it, he inquired. |
(30)«tânima okimâw wîkih?» |
(30)«Where is the chief's tipi?» |
(31)«tawâyihk êyakw anima nêma,» itâw. |
(31)«The one over there, in the middle,» he was told. |
(32)sêmâk nênapos ntawi-takosin. ayahciyiniwikimâw pîhtokâk nênaposa. miywêyihtam. êkotah piyis kinwês wa-wîcêwêw. |
(32)At once Nenapus went there. The Blackfoot chief was visited in his tent by Nenapus. He was pleased. For a long time there he had him as a companion. |
(33)kêtahtawê ayahciyiniwikimâw, «wâpahki wî-nawaswêwak oskinîkiwak. kîstanaw itohtêhkahk,» itêw nênaposa. |
(33)Then at one time the Blackfoot chief said to Nenapus, «Tomorrow the young men are going to hunt. Let us go too.» |
(34)tâpw ê-wâpaniyik sipwêhtêwk. nênapos otêma wiya tahkonêw; ayahciyiniwikimâw mâwacês êh-kisîpayiyit misatimwa êkoni wiya têhtapiw. ispîh êh-nawaswêhk, namwâc pêyak sêsikîhik nênaposa. mitoni kahkiyaw kanawâpamâw. mihcêt nipahêw mostoswa nênapos. |
(34)So in the morning they went off. Nenapus led his own horse; the Blackfoot chief rode the fastest horse he had. When they gave chase, not one of them could keep up with Nenapus. Everyone's gaze was fixed on him. Many buffalo did Nenapus kill. |
(35)kîhtwâm âsa mîna êkosi tiyôtahk, miton êkwah akâwâtamawâw otêma. |
(35)When he had done this same thing again, he was very much envied for his horse. |
(36)«hâw, êkwah niwîh-kîwân êkwah,» itêw iyahciyiniwa. |
(36)«Well, now I shall go back home,» he said to the Blackfoot. |
(37)sêmâk okimâwa wiy-atâmik otêma. niyânan misatimwa wî-miyik. namo wya mêkiw. piyis mitâtaht, piyis nîstanaw; namo wya wî-mêkiw nênapos. piyis awa ayahciyinîwikimâw, mitâtahto-mitanaw êhtasiyit otêma, kahkiyaw êkosi isi miyêw. êkwêyâk nênapos mêkiw otêma. |
(37)At once the chief wanted to buy his horse from him. He wanted to give him five horses. He did not sell it. Then ten, then twenty; Nenapus would not sell it. At last that Blackfoot chief, who had a hundred horses, gave them all to him. Only then Nenapus sold his horse. |
(38)ispî ê-wîh-sipwêhtêt, itêw ôhô okimâwa, «êkâ wiya wîhkâc kisîpêkin nipîhk, kîspin mihkôwicih kitêm. pakwâtam.» |
(38)As he was departing, he said to that chief, «Do not ever wash your horse in water, if it gets blood on it. It does not like that.» |
(39)kêtahtawê êkosi nênapos aspin êh-kîwêyâmohkêt, akistakê misatimwah! |
(39)And so there was Nenapus driving home his herd, what a crowd of horses! |
(40)kêtahtawê ê-kî-mâcît awa okimâw namo wya miywêyihtam êh-ma-mihkôwiyit otêma. |
(40)Then presently, when that chief had been hunting, he did not like his horse being all spotted with blood. |
(41)êh-ntawi-minahât sîpîhk, «nka-kisîpêkinâw,» kâ-itêyihtahk, êkwa nipiy kây-ây-isiwêpinamawât. |
(41)When he took it to the river to water it, «I shall wash it,» he thought, and proceeded to throw water over it. |
(42)kâh-pôyot, êh-kospâpêkinât otêma, êkosi êt-îsi-tihtipiyit, tânisi mîna, êh-pasikôt awa misatim, akâwâc pimohtêw, êkwa mîn ê-askâwikanêt. |
(42)When he had done and led his horse up the bank, and it had rolled over on the ground, what was this? When the horse rose to its feet, it could scarcely walk, and it had raw spots on its back. |
(43)«mâka mîna êcik âni nênapos awa kâ-pê-ihtôtawit!» itwêw ayahciyiniw. |
(43)«And so it was Nenapus, up to his old tricks, who came and did this to me!» said the Blackfoot. |
(44)«nisîmak ciy-âpacihâcik nêhiyawak, wêhci-kî-nâtakik misatimwak!» itwêw êsa nênapos, êh-takosihk; «wiya nîstâw ê-kîh-sâkihât otêma, âta ntotamawak!» itwêw êsa. |
(44)«That my little brothers, the Cree might use them, is why I went and got horses!» Nenapus must have said, when he arrived; «Seeing that my brother-in-law was stingy about his horses when in vain I asked him for one!» he said. |
(45)êkosi. |
(45)That is all. |